Furnace for roasting ores.



I which has hitherto been carried out practisrarns rar XAVIER DE SPIBL',or BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

FUBNACE FOB ROASTING QRES.

Application led April 30, 1910. Serial No. 558,1157.'

engineer, 8 Avenue Rogier, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Furnaces forRoasting Ores, for which ap-A plication has beenmade in Belgium May 5,1909.

This invention relates to a mechanical furnace for roasting sulfurousores, more particularly blende (zinc sultid), a4 process cally only byhand labor.

A constructional form of the roasting furnace according toy thisinvention is il1ustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawingin which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section ofthe furnace on the line 11 of Fig. 2and Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section on the line `2 2 of Fig. 1. I

The furnace comprises a certain number of superposed horizontalcircular' plates forming hearths or soles arranged in floors andcompletely independent of each other. In the example illustrated, thenumber of plates or hearths is assumed to be nine, but it is obviousthat any desired number may be used, such number varying 'in accordancewith the circumstances, such as the kind of the ore to be treated, meansfor heating, etc. Alternate plates, as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 are stationary,while the others, as 2, 4, 6, 8 are movable around an imaginary axiscoinciding with the vertical axis of the furnace. The

fixed plates are carried by columns 10 ar-t ranged `on the angles of apolygon formed by connecting bars 11 circumscribing thefurnace. Thecolumns 10, of which there are six in the, example illustrated, supportalso the movable plates by means of a toothed driving ring 12 providedwith rollers 13 traveling on rails 14' secured to the said columns.

The upper fixed plate l which closes the furnace, is lined with. asuitable non-conducting material in order to prevent loss of heat andprovided'with a suitable distribut-4 ing apparatus for the ore. Anopening 15 made in the center, vis used for carrying away the sulfurousgasesthrough a suitable conduit 16.

The movable plates 2, 4, 6, 8 are rotated by mean-s of a verticalspindle 17 carrying toothed pinions 18 engaging with the rings 12, thesaid spindle being driven from the toothed ring top or the bottom bymeans of suitable transmission gear. The speed of rotation is preferablythe same for all the movable plates, but it might be varied from oneplate to another, for instance, it might decreasef from the topdownward. It would be suicient for the purpose' to vary suitably theproportion between the pinions 18 and the Both the fixed and the movableplates consist of ring-like plates 19 of special crosssection, forminthe beginnings of very low arches and are ormed of refractory materialof suitable composition and quality. Each 70 plate is provided with aseries of teeth 20, also of suitable refractory material, secured in thearch, the said teeth being shaped and arranged so as to move the orespread on the plate or hearth immediately below in the 7 5 desireddirection, either from the center toward the circumference or from thecircumference toward the center. Thusn the example illustrated, thecover plate 1 is pro 'vided with teeth designed and arranged sol 80 asto move the ore supplied by the distributer at the center of the plate2,1from the center toward the'circumference merely by the rotation ofthe said plate. The said ore arriving at the circumference of plate 2,falls through openings 21 on the xed plate 3. The teeth vprovided on thearch 2, bring the ore back from the circumference of the plate 3 towarda central hole 22'Whenceit falls on to the plate 4, and so on .from oneplate to another, through the holes 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28. The gasesfollow a reverse path through the same holes 28, 27, 26, etc., untilthey are carried away.

The joints between ythe different plates, which are completely,independent of each other,l are obtained'bty-,means of annular troughsor channels 29V constituted b a ring or hoop with which engages the e geof a cylindrical projection 30 of the ring ofthe 100 plate immediatelyhigher. The channels are filled with tine ore, sand or any'othersuitable material in powdered form, or even'. with liquid, for obtainingthebest possible joint preventing the escape of gases or en-l trance ofair. 1 f

The working of the furnace can be at will either absolutely continuousor intermittent accordin to circumstances, the speed or the speeds og inevery particular case.

Each apparatus can be heated independ-` rotation being naturallyadjustable 1 '10 `rif/irais ently or a battery or series ot apparatuscan be heated from one and the same source. Only one plate is heated,but air for oxidation purposes is introduced into the furnace at anad]ust-able high temperature.

Mechanical furnaces constructed as hereinbefore described have thefollowing important advantages. @Wing to the use of rotary rollingplates, the furnace can be iven a suilicient diameter orkeeping Withinadvantageous limits the losses by radlation per unit of a usefulsurface. @Wing to this construction, it is, moreover, possible to avoidaltogether'. the use in the interior of the urnaceof metal parts which,in a sulurous atmosphere are unable to standthe high temperaturerequired for roasting blende, and become completely corroded in spite ofthe cooling devices designed for preventing it, when a lower temperaturemay be maintained, as for instance in roasting pyrites. Moreover thisconstruction renders any cooling superfluous and thuseconomizes thefuel. The construction of the furnace makes repairs easy, as taking topieces and rerecting can be effected quickly. Finally, the arrangementenables the costota roasting installation to be reduced owing to thelarge diameters which may be given to the roasting plates and thegreater output resulting therefrom.

I declare that what l claim is:

l. )in ore roaster comprising in combination, a series ot superposedlates of retractory material spaced apart rom each other to formintervening chambers, said plates having openings 'for successivedelivery of one' plate to the next lowerinost plate, said plates havingmeans tor moving the material toward said openings, means for movingcertain ot said plates with respect to the remaining plates, and meansforming closed joints at the outer margins ot said plates.

2. An ore roaster comprising in combination, a series ot snperposedplates of refractory material spaced apart from each other to formintervening chambers, said plates having openings for successivedelivery of one plate to the next lowcrmost plate with the openings ofadjacent plates out ot alinement, teeth for said plates for moving thematerial toward said openings, means for rotating certain of said plateswith respect. to the remaining plates, and annular inter-f fitting jointmembers closing the openings between said plates at the outerv marginsthereof.

3. An ore roaster comprising incombination, a housing, a sci-ies oisuperposed plates therein spaced apart trom each other to formintervening chambers', means for moving certain of said plates vvithrespect to other plates, and' means carried by the plates and disposedwholly within said housing for moving the material on said plates towarda discharging position.

y 4. An ore roaster comprising in combination, a series of superposedplates spaced apart from each other to form intervening chambers,certain of said plates being stationary, means for moving some of saidplates, and means carried by said stationary plates for causing thematerial to move toward a discharging position upon movement of themovable plates.

5. An ore roaster comprising in combination, a series of superposedplates spaced apart from each other to form intervening chambers,certain of said platesY being stationary, means for moving other of saidplates with respect to the stationary plates. and means carried by thestationary and movable plates for causing the material to advance towarda discharge position upon actuation o'f the movable plates.

. 6. An ore roaster comprising in combination, a series of superposedplates spaced apart from each other toforin intervening chambers, saidplates having openings for successive delivery of the material of'oneplate to the next lowermost plate, means for moving certain of saidplates with respect to the remaining plates, -certain of said platescarrying means for advancing the operation of the movable plate.

7. An ore roaster comprising in'combination, a series vof superposedplates spaced apart from each other to form interve chambers, means formoving certain of ld plates with respect to the remaining plaies. saidplates carrying means for moving or advancing the i, "t rial indifferent directions to a dischargng pcution,

An ore roaster compi sing ii combination, a series of superposed platesspaced apart from each other to form intervening chambers. means formoving certain oi said plates with respect to the remaining` plates.certain of said plates carrying means for moving the material toward thecenter thereof' and other of said plates carrying means for moving thematerial toward the periphery thereof uponl movement ot' certain of saidplates.

ln testimony Whereot'v l ailix my signaturiin presence of two witnesses.

. XAVIER Dlt SPIRLET.

v\Vitnesses L. 'Paiin'r'rm lanceur Pnnniv llO

